1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monoclonal antibody and more particularly, to a novel monoclonal antibody capable of specifically binding to a peptide having macrophage chemotactic activity and as well as to a process for production thereof.
The monoclonal antibody in accordance with the present invention has a property of being capable of specifically reacting with a lymphokine or cytokine having macrophage chemotactic activity. Thus, the monoclonal antibody may be effectively utilized, particularly for the clarification of various immune mechanisms or tissue staining, or in the medical field such in diagnosis, etc.
2. Statement of Prior Art
In general, macrophage chemotactic factor (hereafter simply referred to as MCF) is generally known to be a lymphokine having macrophage chemotactic activity which is specifically or non-specifically secreted from lymphocytes and lymphocytically established cells. It is already known that a high macrophage chemotactic activity is noted in the supernatant obtained by stimulating peripheral blood lymphocytes (hereafter simply referred to as PBL) with lectin, e.g., phytohemagglutinin (hereafter simply referred to as PHA), and then culturing the stimulated lymphocytes.
The macrophage chemotactic activity is recognized also in the culture supernatant of a hybridoma obtained by fusing a leukemia cell line and the stimulated lymphocyte described above in order to impart a persistently surviving property (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-181018).
On the other hand, it is considered in delayed-type hypersensitivity that MCF would take part in development of delayed-type hypersensitivity, since infiltration of macrophage, in addition to lymphocytes, in the tissue is remarkable about 48 hours after the time when the skin reaction reaches the maximum in a sensitized animal to which hypersensitivity reaction has been induced.
As stated above, MCF is defined by its activity of collecting macrophage to the reacted local area; its application to medical drugs as an antitumor agent is expected.
Structural analysis of MCF has already been made. Purification of MCF from the hybridoma obtained from peripheral blood lymphocyte and determination of its primary structure were made by the present inventors (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-173785). Furthermore, MCF was also synthesized by chemical synthesis. The primary structure of MCF is shown by the following formula (I): EQU H-Y-Leu-Gly-Arg-X-Asp-Gly-Ser-Glu-OH (I)
wherein X represents Glu or Gln and Y represents Trp or Arg.
The present invention relates to a monoclonal antibody capable of specifically binding to the peptide having MCF activity and antisera. The monoclonal antibody and antisera are unknown heretofore and novel.
If a substance capable of specifically reacting with the peptide having MCF activity is developed under the actual situation of the state of the art, this substance would be effectively utilized as an inhibitor of MCF activity or in the preparation of the peptide having MCF activity.
On the other hand, since MCF participates in delayed-type hypersensitivity as described above, a substance capable of specifically reacting with the peptide having MCF activity could be effectively utilized for tissue staining for surveying as to the state of participation of the immune mechanism, or in diagnosis.
From such viewpoints, it has been desired in the art to develop a substance capable of specifically reacting with the peptide having MCF activity.